Courage is Contagious: Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things to Change the Face of America

by John Kasich

Book Overview

LikeProfiles in Courage, written some forty years ago,Courage is Contagiousis a remarkable book about everyday Americans helping to reshape America.??As a result of in-depth interviews conducted with... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385491476
• ISBN13: 9780385491471
• Release Date: October 1998
• Publisher: Doubleday Books
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.9" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Celebrating Everyday American Heroes

In "Courage is Contagious," Republican Ohio Congressman - and author - John Kasich presents short stories of U.S. citizens who have performed extraordinarily to improve their communities and the lives of others. As Kasich says, "The most wonderful thing about the heroes in this book is that they are really just ordinary people who one day decided to act."Congressman Kasich devotes sixteen chapters in his book to stories celebrating everyday American heroes. The book contains narratives aided with in-depth interviews that make the material lively and compelling.Here are a few excerpts from the book's short story chapters: A selfless Maryland mother and daughter feed scores of homeless people each week in "The Happy Helpers.""Something Had To Be Done" chronicles the story of a compassionate woman in New York who works to save the lives of children born with AIDS. In "A Lump in the Throat," a restless retired physician recruits other medical professionals to treat people who do not have health insurance coverage. Set in World War II Poland, "A Whisper From Above," recounts the courage of a teenage Polish Catholic girl (now an American citizen) who faced the horrors of the Nazis, and saved some lives of Jewish people. "Courage is Contagious - Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things to Change the Face of America" is motivational, inspirational, and thought provoking. The book is relevant for everyone to learn what we can achieve as individuals in helping others and reshaping our communities.

John Kasich answers the question "What can one person do?"

In Courage is Contagious, John Kasich answers the age old question - "What can one person do to make a difference?" In each chapter, John talks about a person who "dreamed things that never were and said 'Why not?'" Each chapter tells about someone who felt they could no longer let things stay as they are. That person went out and did something to make a difference. It doesn't matter if it was Albert Lexie donating over $40,000 worth of tips from shining shoes to Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh's Free Care Fund or Irene Gut Opdyke's saving Jews during the Holocaust. In each case, one person decided they could not accept things as they were and they did all they could to change our society for the better.John Kasich shows just how much we all could do if we just tried.This is a must read for anyone who wants to make our world just a little better.

Great Book from Future President

This book is a great message from a guy who should be our next President. He truly understands that it us up to each one of us to make a difference in our own communities rather than government doing it for us.

Everyday heroes

Even before I read this book, I had come to appreciate John Kasich's ability to inspire with his genuine belief that our country's greatness comes from the ground up. His glimpse into the lives of 20 or so everyday American heroes serves to reaffirm that assertion.Kasich does justice to those who forgo greed and selfishness. The lives of those portrayed within renew your faith in an America that is compassionate yet accountable.Enjoy.

A book that calls Americans to live to their highest level.

Each of the courageous people John Kasich has personally met and interviewed are ordinary people who have managed to make a tremendous impact within their communities. It inspires all of us to get out and do something for others and to live our life on a higher level of participation. Through these ordinary Americans, John has shown all of us what we can do for America. A well written and easy to read volume that is appropriate for children as well as adults. An excellent tool for parents, teachers, as a gift for Christmas and for anyone who may need a lift in spirits.